Tank construction



Nov. 24, 1953 Filed July I0, 1948 0. JAN SSEN TANK CONSTRUCTION 4 sneeis-sheet 1 Nov. 24, 1953 O, ANSSEN 2,660,048

TANK CONSTRUCTION Filed July 10, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet E ...-L E E5 a E57 6E Egg FIG -.4. 83 o /5 Nov. 24, 1953 JANSSEN 2,660,048

' TANK CONSTRUCTION Filed July 10, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGS.

Nov. 24, 1953 o. JANSSEN 2,660,048

TANK CONSTRUCTION Filed July 10, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGS.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 TANK CONSTRUCTION Oscar Janssen, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Oscar Janssen Stainless Steel Tanks, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 10, 1948, Serial No. 38,076

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tank construction, and more particularly to a construction for large-capacity concrete tanks having non-corrosive linings.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an economical construction for concrete tanks of relatively large capacity having a lining of non-corrosive metal keyed in the concrete; the provision of a tank construction of the class described wherein the lining economically may consist of light gage, non-corrosive sheet metal such as stainless steel; the provision of such a tank construction wherein the entire lining may be readily prefabricated, safely transported, and subsequently installed as a unit in the field; and the provision of a relatively large capacity tank of this class which is structurally strong, though devoid of internal bracing so that it may be readily cleaned. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a multiple-tank installation embodying the tank construction of this invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a vessel which forms a lining for a tank of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the vessel of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front end view of the vessel of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a welding jig employed in the fabrication of the vessel, the jig being shown as opened and having the bottom, top and side walls of the vessel in place therein for final assembly;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the interior of the front end wall of the vessel;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of the rear end wall of the vessel;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through the jig of Fig. 5, with the jig closed and rotated for downhand welding of the top wall to a side wall;

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 8, illustrating the jig rotated to position the tank upright, and showing temporary internal bracing in the vessel; and,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail perspective of a corner of a tank of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a multiple-tank installation I such as may be erected within a building 3 for containing wort during fermentation of beer for storage. The multiple-tank-installation I comprises a plurality of individual closed tanks arranged in horizontal rows and vertical tiers. Each tank per se comprises an elongate closed vessel 5 embedded in concrete 1. The concrete 1 is poured around all the vessels after they have been assembled in rows and tiers with adjacent vessels substantially spaced from one another, so as to form a plurality of tanks, each consisting of a concrete shell wherein a vessel is embedded with its walls forming a lining for the tank.

Each vessel, as more particularly illustrated in Figs. 24, is of generally rectangular cross section and comprises a bottom wall 9, vertical side walls I l and I3, a top wall l5, and front and rear end walls I! and I9, respectively. Each of these walls consists of an interior flat plate of light gage, non-corrosive sheet metal, such as stainless steel. Stainless steel plate of as light a gage as Number 18 U. S. standard gage, which is approximately .05 thick, may be used. The walls are welded together at their edges, as indicated at 2|,to form a fluid-tight vessel.

The bottom wall 9, side walls II and i3, top wall l5, and end walls I! and is are exteriorly reinforced and stiffened by means of corrugated plating 23, 25, 2'1, 29, 3| and 33, respectively, secured upon the outer faces of the Walls. Thus, the interior of the vessel is unobstructed by any stiiiening members and is wholly smooth. The corrugated plating is substantially coextensive in area with the corresponding wall of the vessel and may be secured by welding or in any other suitable way to the wall. The corrugated stiffener plates are formed of light gage sheet metal, which may be a relatively inexpensive sheet metal, but preferably is the same noncorrosive sheet metal as the walls of the vessel. The corrugations of the stiffener plates are preferably of substantially rectangular form. The corrugations of stiffener plates 23 and 2B for the bottom and top walls extend transversely with respect to the length of the vessel, and the corrugations of stiffener plates 25, 2?, 3i and 33 3 for the side walls H and I3 and end walls l1 and i9 extend vertically.

The front end wall ll of the vessel is provided with a manhole for access to its interior and with a manhole cover 35. A sleeve 3'9 extends outward from the front end wall ll surrounding the manhole so as to provide an opening through the concrete shell I for access to the manhole.

In constructing concrete tanks of this invention, or a multiple-tank installation such as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is highly economical to prefabricate the vessels 5 which are to form the linings for the tanks. rather than to assemble them in the field. Figs. 5-9 illustrate a method of prefabricating the vessels whereby they may be economically completed in the shoe. ready for transport to and installation in the field, despite their relatively large size (of the order 42 x x 10', for example).

As shown in Figs. 5-7, the bottom wall 5, the side walls H and [3, the top wall I5, and the end walls I! and I9 are fabricated in the fiat as individual units for ultimate assembly to form the vessel. The bottom wall is made up of a plurality of individual prefabricated panels 39.

Each of these panels com rises a flat plate of elongate rectangular outline having a length corresponding to the width of the vessel and a width corresponding to a whole fraction of the length of the vessel. Spot welded to the flat plate of the panel is a corrugated stiffening plate, with the corrugations of. the latter extending lengthwise of the flat plate so as to extend transversely in the completed vessel. The area of the corrugated plate proiected upon the flat plate is substantially coextensive with the area of the flat plate so that the corrugated plate reinforces the flat plate substantially throughout the area of the flat plate. The panels are assembled sideby-side in the flat, and the fiat plates of adjacent panels are welded together by continuous fluid-tight seams M. This unites the flat plates of the panels to form the interior flat plate of the bottom wall with the exterior corrugated plates forming the stiffener plating 23 of the bottom wall. The top wall is fabricated in the same manner, with panels d3 welded together by continuous fluid-tight seams d5.

The side walls I! and I3 are fabricated in similar manner, wall ll being shown to consist of panels joined by continuous fluid-tight welds 4,9. and wall E3 to consist of panels 5! joined by welds 53. The interior plates of the panels of the side walls are preferably flanged at their ends, as indicated at 55, so that the side walls have continuous rounded flanges at their upper and lower edges. The front end wall I! is fabricated on all four edges as indicated at 6|. The rear end wall is is similarly fabricated of panels 63, joined by welds 65, and is also flanged on all four edges as indicated at 67. These flanges provide for easily cleaned rounded corners in the completed vessel.

The bottom, top, side and end walls thus formed are assembled by means of the jig of this invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 8 and 9. As shown, the jig consists of two separable jig sections, generally designated 69 and H. The two jig sections are substantially identical, each comprising an elongate frame having a plurality of longitudinally spaced generally L-shaped frame plates 13 connected by longitudinal bars at and braced by transverse brace members ill. The frame plates 13 are formed with semi-circular outer peripheries so that they may be rotated by rolling. Qne of the jig sections (the section ll as shown in Figs. 5, 8 and 9) has its frame plates peripherally mounted on rollers l9.

For assembling a vessel 5, the two sections of the jig are separated and each section is set up with its frame plates in erect position, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The bottom wall 5 i for the vessel is then placed in horizontal position, corrugated side down, upon the horizontal legs of the frame plates of the jig section IE, and is clamped in place by suitable clamps (not shown). Side Wall I3 is placed in vertical position, corrugated side out, against the vertical legs of the frame plates of this jig section, with its lower edge abutting the adjacent edge of the bottom wall, and is clamped in place. The bottom wall H and side wall [3 are then welded together to form the continuous fluid-tight seam 2! for the corner of the vessel defined by these walls. It will be noted that this seam may be downhand welded.

The side wall I l is placed in horizontal position, corrugated side down, upon the horizontal legs of the frame plates 73 of jig section 69, and is clamped in place. Top wall I5 is placed in vertical position, corrugated side out, against the vertical legs of the frame plates, with its lower edge abutting the adjacent edge of the side wall, and is clamped in place. The side Wall II and the top wall l5 may then be downhand welded together to form the continuous fluid-tight seam 2! for the corner of the vessel defined by these walls.

The jig sections 68 and H, with the side and top wall sub-assembly and the side and bottom wall sub-assembly therein, are then assembled by turning the section 69 clockwise through 90 from its Fig. 5 position and moving it into position for attachment to section H in such manner that the frame plates 13 of the two sections define complete circles for rolling purposes. This positions side wall ll Vertically with its lower edge abutting the free edge of the bottom wall 9, and positions top wall 15 horizontally with its free edge abutting the free upper edge of side wall i S. The jig sections may be held in their closed assembled relation by straps 8i bolted to the frame plates 73, or in any other suitable way.

The side wall ll is then welded to the bottom wall 9 to form the continuous fluid-tight seam 2! for the corner of the vessel defined by these walls.

U This seam may be downhand welded. The entire jig is then rotated through 90 to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 to position the side wall l3 horizontally in the bottom of the jig, and the side wall [3 and top wall is then downhand welded together to form the continuous fluidtight seam 2| for the respective corner of the vessel. The end walls ll and 15 are then clamped in place and welded from the inside of the vessel to the end edges of the bottom, top and l, side walls by continuous fluid-tight seams, the

jig being rotated as required to bring the joint being welded into position for downhand welding. Suitable inlet and outlet fittings such as indicated at 83 and 85 are welded in place. Suitable anchor members (not shown), preferably of stainless steel, for anchoring the vessel to the concrete may be welded to its exterior at a plurality of points.

After the vessel 5 has been thus fabricated in the jig and all its seams welded, it is tested for leakage while still in the jig by introducing air under pressure into the sealed vessel and applying a soap bubble solution along all the welded seams exteriorly of the vessel. If any leaks are found, the leaking seams are conveniently rewelded by turning the jig into position for down- 'for' leaks the seamgwhile still in the l d by brushing a mixture .of apowdered fluorescent material and penetrating oil :on a seam under test, then carefully wiping it oil. If theseami open, the penetrating oil carrying the fluorescent powder willreappearon the surface of the weld and maybe detectedby exposing the seam to a light that will cause the powder to fluoresce- This procedure for detecting leaks may also vbe used after the vessels have been encased in concrete.

A vessel foratank of the capacity herein contemplated (tanks wherein the dim ons of th vessel are .2 x x .10. for ex mple), is not inherently structurally capable of withstandin the hydrostatic load of concrete poured therearound. The corrugated plating stiffens the walls of the vessel sufficiently to enable them readily to be handled in the course of prefabrication of the vessel, and usually sufficiently to withstand loads to which the vessel is subjected in being transported, but not suificiently to withstand the pressure of poured concrete. Temporary bracing is therefore provided within the vessel particularly to enable it to withstand the hydrostatic load of concrete poured around the vessel. As shown in Fig. 9, temporary bracing 8! may b erected within the vessel while st ll in the jig, the latter being turned to bring the vessel into erect position. Access to the vessel for the erection of the bracing is had through the manhole in the front end wall I? of the vessel. This will enable the vessel not only to withstand the hydrostatic load of the poured concrete, but also better to withstand strains during transport. If strains encountered dur ng transport are not severe, erection of the temporary bracing may take place in the field, before the concrete is poured.

The vessel 5 is then transported to the tank site and mounted in the desired posit on. Suitable formwork is built up around the vessel where necessary and concrete 1 is poured to form a shell of the desired thickness surrounding the vessel. The concrete is preferably poured in successive steps, rather than to the full height of the vessel in one pouring, to reduce the hydrostatic pressure on the vessel and its temporary internal bracing. The vessel is keyed within the shell by the concrete between the corrugations of the lating, which also forms concrete ribs for additional stiffening of the tank to enable it to resist internal pressure. Concrete also enters the corrugations through their open ends and keys the walls of the vessel to the concrete shell. In this respect, it will be observed that the corrugations are of substantial width and depth and their length is slightly less than the respective walls of the vessel so that the ends of the tion of the relatively costly formwork ordinarily required for pouring concrete vessels. Thi is because in a multiple-tank installation such as illustrated in Fig. 1, for example, the walls of the vessels forming the tank linings serve to a considerable extent as forms for the concrete.

The only'formwork required is at the ends of the tanks and at the sides of the tanks at the ends of each tier of tanks. If two rows of tanks are provided in each tier, with the rear walls of the vessels in the two rows back-toi-back, then the rear walls of the vessels serve as forms for the concrete poured between the rear walls. The elimination of any necessity for a large proportion of formwork constitutesa cost saving justifying the use of the relatively expensive stainless steel tank linings.

The tank construction of this invention thus economically permits the use of relatively expenive nonwori'osive sheet metal such as stainless steel, since light gage material may be used with the resultant saving in he amoun f su h material. Economy also ts from the. pr fabr cationof the vessels '5 whichform the tank 11nings, prefabrication being more economical than assembly of the vessels in the field. No permanent internal bracing is required, and the tank interior may therefore be readily cleaned.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A tank having a lining consisting of an elongate vessel of generally rectangular cross section having flat bottom, side, top and end walls, each of said bottom, side and top walls consisting of a plurality of panels extending transversely with respect to the length of the vessel, each panel comprising an interior fiat sheet metal plate extending the width of its respective wall and a fraction of the length of its respective wall and an exteror corrugated sheet metal plate welded to the flat plate with its corrugations extending transversely with respect to the length of the vessel, the area of the corrugated plate projected upon the flat plate being substantially coextensive with the area of the flat plate so that the corrugated plate reinforces the flat plate substantially throughout the area of the flat plate, the fiat plates of adjacent panels in each of said bottom, side and top walls being welded together by continuous fluid-tight transverse seams, the bottom, side and top walls also being welded together by continuous, fluid-tight corner scams 7 extending longitudinally the full length of the vessel, the corrugations of the corrugated plating being of substantial width and depth and their length being slightly less than the width of the respective walls of the vessel so that the ends of the corrugations are spaced from the corner seams, and the corrugations being open at their said ends adjacent said corner seams, each of the said end walls also consisting of a plurality of panels, each of which comprises an interior flat sheet metal plate and an exterior corrugated sheet metal plate welded to the fiat plate, with the area of the corrugated plate projected upon the flat plate substantially coextensive with the area of the flat plate and having the corrugations open at its ends, the flat plates of adjacent end wall panels being welded together by continuous fluid-tight seams, and the end walls being welded at their edges to the bottom, side and top walls by continuous fluid-tight seams, and a shell of concrete embedding the vessel adapted to with- 7 stand the load due to the pressure of the contents of the tank, the concrete between the corrugations of the corrugated plates forming stiffening and keying ribs and concrete entering the corrugations through their open ends keying the walls of the vessel to the shell.

2. A tank as set forth in claim 1 wherein each end wall panel extends the height of the end wall and a fraction of its Width, and the corrugations extend vertically.

OSCAR. JANSSEN.

Referenees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,916,051 Jagschitz June 27, 1933 1,927,255 Brown Sept. 19, 1933 1,933,142 Jagschitz Oct. 31, 1933 Number Name Date Moran May 15, 1934 Laube Aug. 21, 1934 Escher Dec. 4, 1934 Whitacre Jan. 29, 1935 Hartman Apr. 11, 1939 Palmer Ma 14, 1940 Crom Aug. 3, 1943 Lawman et al Oct. 12, 1943 Evans et a1. Feb. 22, 1944 Lebedefif Aug. 1, 1944 Bondy et a1. Aug. 15, 1944 Grant Feb. 27, 1945 Bisbee Mar. 13, 1945 Pomykala Aug. 14, 1945 Laird Jan. 14, 1947 Noyes Mar. 22, 1949 

